For many horse owners, “spring shots” are the one planned touchpoint with their veterinarian for the year. Here’s how you can make the most of your annual examination and encourage clients into a more consultative wellness approach.

Horse owners may think that all their horse’s health needs for the year can and should be met during one appointment. However, by raising some of the following points with your client during their “spring shots” exam, you can discuss the benefits of a more year-round approach to wellness and encourage additional consultations throughout the year.

Is your patient a working horse?

One factor in determining the type of maintenance that will be required and the recommended frequency of wellness examinations is the type of work the horse does. For example, talk to your client about the impact of their discipline on their horse’s joints.

Do they compete? Horses competing in some types of nationally recognized competitions are required to receive booster vaccinations within a certain timeframe of the event. Raise points like this to ignite a conversation about how best to structure a wellness program around the horse’s specific needs.

Does the horse travel?

Horses that travel to crowded venues or across state lines may have different needs when it comes to health papers and vaccinations.

Some clients may not think this is necessary, especially if their horse isn’t competing, so it’s important to explain that even pleasure horses may need additional risk-based vaccines. Considerations to discuss with your client are whether the horse will be mingling with other animals, for example on a group trail ride, and whether there are different disease vectors and other risks at their destination. Check the Equine Disease Communication Center¹ to see what’s active in the area they’ll be visiting.

How old is the horse?

Many clients understand that senior horses require more frequent appointments than healthy mature horses, but it is still important to raise the topic of increasing the frequency of regular check-ups to monitor any changes.

Remind your clients that wellness examinations, particularly monitoring weight and dental health, can help you to identify changes in geriatric horses early, before they become serious. With Rapport^™, the client communication solution from Covetrus^®, you can schedule appointments and clients can select the time that best suits their schedule. Plus, Rapport enables you to set up recurring check-ins and deliver automated appointment reminders for your clients, helping you both to stay on track with their horse’s needs. With Rapport’s two-way texting capabilities, clients are also able to easily communicate with your practice via text so you can more easily maintain a good level of communication throughout the year.

Think about booster vaccines

There is a common misconception among horse owners that the immunity from all shots lasts a year, but not all vaccines produce protective immunity for a full 12 months. It is important to discuss planning for booster vaccinations with your client. Equine influenza and rhinopneumonitis (herpesvirus) vaccines, for example, should be boosted in shorter intervals, depending on the level of exposure the horse receives. See the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s Risk-Based Vaccination Guidelines² for specific recommendations.

To raise the subject of boosters with your client it can be useful to discuss the horses’ living environment and lifestyle. Horses in boarding barns or on farms where they’re traveling to shows or encounter other horses may need to be vaccinated in more frequent intervals. The location of the farm can also affect the need for booster vaccines, as mosquitoes may be more prevalent and have longer seasons in certain parts of the country. Understand the local risk to springboard further discussion about future appointments for boosters or additional vaccines.

Hoof care: Prevention is better than cure

Recommend that your clients have their horses’ hooves maintained at regular intervals throughout the year to ensure optimum wellness. Farriers typically see horses every 6 to 8 weeks and can be a key member of your care team, with eyes on your patients in frequent intervals. Get to know your local farriers and work with them collaboratively. A fast diagnosis and treatment for an abscess, Cushing’s disease, laminitis, or hoof punctures may improve outcomes.

Discuss creating a wellness program

Offering support in the form of a comprehensive wellness plan is a great way to help both client and horse, facilitating consistent care that can be scheduled and budgeted in advance.

Consider offering flexible wellness packages to suit the specific circumstances. For example, scheduled wellness examinations for a performance horse could include risk-based vaccines, dental float, sheath cleaning, joint maintenance, and fecal egg count. Work together with your client to develop the correct plan for their horse and budget.

Ask your Covetrus® account manager about software and business services to make wellness plans a part of your practice.

1. Equine Disease Communication Center. https://equinediseasecc.org/alerts Accessed October 5, 2022.

2. Risk-Based Vaccination Guidelines, American Association of Equine Practitioners.

https://aaep.org/guidelines/vaccination-guidelines/risk-based-vaccination-guidelines Accessed October 5, 2022.